Cameron Young cards 64, leads Hero World Challenge
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Cameron Young of the United States lines up a putt on the 18th green during the first round of the Hero World Challenge.
PHOTO: AFP
NASSAU – After a few months off, Cameron Young was pleasantly surprised to come out to the Bahamas and shoot an eight-under 64 for the first-round lead at the Hero World Challenge on Dec 5.
A field of 20 players is at Albany Golf Club for the exclusive exhibition event hosted by Tiger Woods. Young has a two-shot lead on Justin Thomas after the first day.
“Yeah, kind of (surprised). I didn’t play great (on Wednesday),” the 27-year-old Young said.
“You always feel like you can shoot a number like that, but I really felt very well in control, which isn’t necessarily surprising but it’s a nice thing to come out and just feel like yourself.
“Yeah, really happy with it. I feel like, with the driver, I was just really comfortable, and that’s a huge key out here.”
Young spread eight birdies across his card without recording a bogey. His 21-foot birdie putt at the par-three second hole set the tone for his round, and his last birdie was a 14½-footer at another par-three, the 17th.
“I’m sure I missed a fairway or two but, for the most part, I was really well in position,” he added.
“Then I made a couple putts early, which was nice. Just kind of got off to a nice start with the putter. There’s a bunch of par fives and a couple drivable holes, so I feel that if you’re on top of it, you can make a bunch of birdies.”
Young is one of the highest-ranked players in the world who has yet to win on the PGA Tour.
If the world No. 38 were to win the Hero, it would not count as an official tour victory nor gain him any FedExCup points, but Official World Golf Ranking points are on offer this week.
Thomas shot a blazing six-under 30 on the back nine after posting one bogey and one birdie through nine holes. He rolled in four birdies in a row at Nos. 14-17.
“It was nice to make that birdie on 7. And had good chances there on 8 and 9, but then once 10, 11 happened, I felt like I got in a nice rhythm there on the back nine,” the 31-year-old said.
Tied for third at five-under 67 are world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Akshay Bhatia, Sahith Theegala and Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg.
Scheffler, the defending champion, made a change to his putting grip and rolled in six birdies with one bogey.
“I figured this is a good week to try stuff just because you can practise and practise and do all the stuff at home, but there’s just something different about being in competition,” he said. REUTERS
